QE2 to become hotel (From Daily Echo)
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QE2 to open as hotel in Dubai in next 18 months
11:07am Monday 2nd July 2012 in Shipping
QE2
Dubai has settled on a use for the Queen Elizabeth 2 cruise liner it bought for £64 million, with plans to make it into a floating hotel fitted with the original furnishings.
The 300-room hotel is expected to open within 18 months at the city's Port Rashid.
Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, chairman of the company that bought the ship, said they realised visitors wanted to see the QE2 as it originally looked, so they are not planning major changes as part of the conversion.
The ship's fate has been the subject of intense speculation since Dubai bought it in 2007. Original plans to completely overhaul it as a luxury hotel were scrapped when Dubai's economy tumbled into crisis.
Comments(12)
Shoong
says...
11:20am Mon 2 Jul 12
The Salv wrote:Surely it's better off being used rather than rusting in a dock somewhere..?
What an utter loss to Southampton this ship has become. This could have been Southamptons historic ship, Southamptons answer to Bristols SS Great Britain, Londons Cutty Sark, Portsmouths Victory etc etc, missed out big time I feel.
Vonnie
says...
11:33am Mon 2 Jul 12
The Salv wrote:And where would Southampton have got the money from to buy it? Be realistic.
What an utter loss to Southampton this ship has become. This could have been Southamptons historic ship, Southamptons answer to Bristols SS Great Britain, Londons Cutty Sark, Portsmouths Victory etc etc, missed out big time I feel.
roblightbody
says...
12:01pm Mon 2 Jul 12
If they convert her to a hotel, retaining her beautiful lines and her history (and yes, re-painting SOUTHAMPTON on her stern) I'll be happy.
allsaintsnocurves
says...
12:18pm Mon 2 Jul 12
stryker70
says...
12:33pm Mon 2 Jul 12
The Salv
says...
12:38pm Mon 2 Jul 12
Shoong wrote:It would be used here as an historic ship, much the same as SS Great Britain in Bristol. Maybe a hotel, maybe as a restaurant, endless opportunities lost.
The Salv wrote: What an utter loss to Southampton this ship has become. This could have been Southamptons historic ship, Southamptons answer to Bristols SS Great Britain, Londons Cutty Sark, Portsmouths Victory etc etc, missed out big time I feel.Surely it's better off being used rather than rusting in a dock somewhere..?
The Salv
says...
12:39pm Mon 2 Jul 12
Vonnie wrote:Money? Just do what everyone else seems to bloomin do... EU and Government funding!!!!!!
The Salv wrote: What an utter loss to Southampton this ship has become. This could have been Southamptons historic ship, Southamptons answer to Bristols SS Great Britain, Londons Cutty Sark, Portsmouths Victory etc etc, missed out big time I feel.And where would Southampton have got the money from to buy it? Be realistic.
The Salv
says...
1:16pm Mon 2 Jul 12
allsaintsnocurves wrote:You mean all the art work thats in the vaults and never gets seen...
I think Southampton would have loved to have bought her but the cost would have been too great. At £64m Southampton would have had to have sold off pretty much all of it's art work to have funded it!
CEH393
says...
8:16pm Mon 2 Jul 12
Vonnie wrote:as I understand it Southampton were offered the QE2 at the time for more or less nothing to keep her here in her home port, but the council said no! I stand to be corrected on this, but as somebody that is keen on Southampton's heritage I remember feeling sad that again our city missed out again, they could have left the civic centre building alone marked the titanics 100th anniversary on there, they could have used the dry dock as a berth instead of covering it with scrap metal. They could have left the 4 cranes alongside the dry dock and had a nice heritage centre there. Shame really our council think stacking old shipping containers in mayflower park for a few days is an attraction and the millions will flock to see it......
The Salv wrote:And where would Southampton have got the money from to buy it? Be realistic.
What an utter loss to Southampton this ship has become. This could have been Southamptons historic ship, Southamptons answer to Bristols SS Great Britain, Londons Cutty Sark, Portsmouths Victory etc etc, missed out big time I feel.
shirley-bill
says...
8:13am Tue 3 Jul 12
The Salv wrote:Ask your self this , what would bring the city more money the art work that is locked in a safe , or the QE2 ??????
allsaintsnocurves wrote:You mean all the art work thats in the vaults and never gets seen...
I think Southampton would have loved to have bought her but the cost would have been too great. At £64m Southampton would have had to have sold off pretty much all of it's art work to have funded it!
mollie
says...
8:17pm Tue 3 Jul 12
Southampton does not seem to
The Salv says...
11:11am Mon 2 Jul 12